My kid loves lists

[sophmama]

I'm not sure how to facilitate this - my dd loves lists. She loves to go over and over and over things. She wants to recite lists of things in spanish and have me coach her when she drops off and can't remember. She loves repetitive excersizes. She begs for flash cards (I don't read them to her she just sits with them herself and then hands them to me and asks what each one is individually).

The crunchy free-hippy in me is struggling with the idea of actually going with her on this. If I gave her a new list of things today - she'd jump up and down and make me go over it a dozen times. She comes up with her own lists by listening to things on dvd's or music cd's. But she likes to be given information to work from on her own. What do I do with this kid? :

Right now among other things she's in love with starfall.com - asking to have each excersize played while she repeats every word/sound as it's said. She drills herself.

From a developmental standpoint - everything you read about what 2 1/2 year olds should be doing is free play - unstructured and if they happen upon a skill or bit of knowledge - so be it.

[angela&avery]

Well, you need to follow her natural need for lists!! Sounds like she is incredibly smart and will do it on her own anyhow.. you may as well join in with her and share with her what she likes to do!!

[Roar]

I bet she'll be a big help at the grocery store!

[eilonwy]

Lists are fun, lists are cool! I love lists myself, always have. In fact, when I was about eleven my mother found an older copy of this book in Goodwill and brought it home for me.

There are so many fun lists out there, and you can always give her information which will be useful in some context later on. Try to keep word groups together, like colors in a foreign language or a list of different ways to say the word "no." See what she thinks about pnemonic devices (like "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain," or "King Philip Came Over For Great Spaghetti"); she might have a grand time coming up with some of her own. I still enjoy this particular activity. I can't help it, I think it's fun!

[EVC]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

Lists are fun, lists are cool! I love lists myself, always have. In fact, when I was about eleven my mother found an older copy of this book in Goodwill and brought it home for me.

I've always loved lists and I had that book as a kid!!!!!